Methods of automatically recording patching changes at passive patch panels and network equipment

ABSTRACT

Methods of executing patching connection changes in a patching field are provided in which an electronic work order is received on a display located at the patching field, the electronic work order specifying the patching connection change. A technician may perform the patching connection change. Then, an electronic message may be sent from the patching field indicating that the patching change has been completed.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application and claims priority under35 U.S.C. §120 from Ser. No. 14/811,946, filed Jul. 29, 2015 whichclaims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 from U.S. patent application Ser.No. 14/138,463, filed Dec. 23, 2013, which in turn claims priority fromU.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/826,118, filed Jun. 29, 2010, whichin turn claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.61/221,306, filed Jun. 29, 2009, the disclosure of each of which ishereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to communications patchingsystems and, more particularly, to patch panels for communicationspatching systems.

BACKGROUND

Many businesses have dedicated telecommunication systems that enablecomputers, telephones, facsimile machines and the like to communicatewith each other, through a private network, and with remote locationsvia a telecommunications service provider. In most buildings, thededicated telecommunications system is hard wired usingtelecommunication cables that contain conductive wire. In such hardwired systems, dedicated wires are coupled to individual service portsthroughout the building. The wires from the dedicated service portsextend through the walls of the building to a telecommunications closetor closets. The telecommunications lines from the interface hub of amain frame computer and the telecommunication lines from externaltelecommunication service providers may also terminate within atelecommunications closet.

A patching system is typically used to interconnect the varioustelecommunication lines within a telecommunications closet. In atelecommunications patching system, all of the telecommunication linesare terminated within a telecommunications closet in an organizedmanner. The organized terminations of the various lines are provided viathe structure of the telecommunications closet. A mounting frame havingone or more racks is typically located in a telecommunications closet.The telecommunications lines terminate on the racks, as is explainedbelow. It is noted that the patching systems described herein may beused in connection with data center environments, providinginterconnection between servers, switches, storage devices, and otherdata center equipment, as well as office/LAN environments.

Referring to FIG. 1, a typical prior art rack 10 is shown. The rack 10retains a plurality of patch panels 12 that are mounted to the rack 10.On each of the patch panels 12 are located port assemblies 14. Theillustrated port assemblies 14 each contain a plurality of opticalcommunication connector ports (e.g., SC, ST, LC ports, etc.) 16. Each ofthe different communication connector ports 16 is hard wired to one ofthe communication lines. Accordingly, each communication line isterminated on a patch panel 12 in an organized manner. In small patchsystems, all communication lines may terminate on the patch panels ofthe same rack. In larger patch systems, multiple racks may be used,wherein different communication lines terminate on different racks.

In FIG. 1, interconnections between the various communication lines aremade using patch cords 20. Both ends of each patch cord 20 areterminated with connectors 22. One end of a patch cord 20 is connectedto a connector port 16 of a first communication line and the oppositeend of the patch cord 20 is connected to a connector port 16 of a secondcommunications line. By selectively connecting the various lines withpatch cords 20, any combination of communication lines can beinterconnected.

In office/LAN environments, as employees move, change positions, and/oradd and subtract lines, the patch cords in a typical telecommunicationscloset may be rearranged quite often. In data center environments,patching information requires updates based onprovisioning/addition/subtraction of servers, switches, storage devices,and other data center equipment. Therefore, it is important to maintaina log or tracing system which provides port identification information,patch cord connection information and/or patch cord identificationinformation. This information may be recorded and updated on handwrittenor preprinted labels adjacent to the connector ports. Handwritten orpreprinted patch cord labels (i.e., labels affixed or clipped to patchcords) may also provide connectivity information by providing a uniqueidentifier for each patch cord. The overall interconnections of thevarious patch cords in a telecommunications closet may be monitored bymanually updating a paper or computer based log.

These solutions suffer from numerous drawbacks. Handwritten orpreprinted labels offer limited space for documenting connectivityinformation and are subject to error if and when they are updated. Also,handwritten or preprinted labels may obscure each other, especially inhigh density installations, and may be difficult to read in darkenvironments, such as telecommunications closets. Furthermore,handwritten or preprinted labels do not provide an automated log ortracing system for the patch cords. Where a paper or computer based logis employed, technicians may neglect to update the log each and everytime a change is made. These manually updated logs are also prone toerroneous entries.

Therefore, regardless of the procedure used, the log or tracing systeminevitably becomes less than 100% accurate and a technician has no wayof reading where each of the patch cords begins and ends. Accordingly,each time a technician needs to change a patch cord, the technicianmanually traces that patch cord between two connector ports. To performa manual trace, the technician locates one end of a patch cord and thenmanually follows the patch cord until he/she finds the opposite end ofthat patch cord. Once the two ends of the patch cord are located, thepatch cord can be positively identified.

It may take a significant amount of time for a technician to manuallytrace a particular patch cord, particularly within a collection of otherpatch cords. Furthermore, manual tracing may not be completely accurateand technicians may accidentally go from one patch cord to anotherduring a manual trace. Such errors may result in misconnectedtelecommunication lines which must be later identified and corrected.Also, it may be difficult to identify the correct port to which aparticular patch cord end should be connected or disconnected. Thus,ensuring that the proper connections are made can be verytime-consuming, and the process is prone to errors in both the making ofconnections and in keeping records of the connections. Accordingly, aneed exists for accurately and quickly tracing, detecting andidentifying the ends of patch cords in a telecommunications closet. Aneed also exists for accurately and quickly knowing which ports areconnected by patch cords.

SUMMARY

Pursuant to embodiments of the present invention, methods of executing apatching connection change in a patching field are provided. Pursuant tothese methods, an electronic work order is received at a display locatedat the patching field. This electronic work order may specify thepatching connection change that is to be performed. A technician mayread the electronic work order and execute the patching connectionchange. An electronic message may be sent from the patching fieldindicating that the patching change has been completed.

The patching connection change may involve adding, changing or deletinga patching connection at a passive patch panel. In some embodiments, thedisplay may be a display that is retrofitted onto the passive patchpanel. In other embodiments, the display may be a display that isassociated with a rack controller. In order to send the electronicmessage from the patching field that indicates that the patching changehas been completed, the technician may activate an input mechanism thatis associated with the display. In response to the activation of thisinput mechanism, the electronic message may be sent to a systemcontroller. The input mechanism may comprise, for example, a push buttonor a touch screen capability of the display.

In some embodiments, the performance of the patching connection mayinvolve performing a first operation of the patching connection change,and then sending a first message indicating that the first operation hasbeen completed; and then performing a second operation of the patchingconnection change, and then sending a second message indicating that thesecond operation has been completed. The patching connection change maybe the addition of a patch cord to form a new patching connection. Insuch embodiments, the first operation may be plugging a first end of thepatch cord into a first connector port and the second operation may beplugging a second end of the patch cord into a second connector port.Alternatively, the patching connection change may be changing anexisting patching connection. In such embodiments, the first operationmay be unplugging a first end of a patch cord from a first connectorport and the second operation may be plugging the first end of the patchcord into a second connector port. A connectivity database may beupdated to reflect that the patching connection change has beencompleted in response to the second message.

It is noted that any one or more aspects or features described withrespect to one embodiment may be incorporated in a different embodimentalthough not specifically described relative thereto. That is, allembodiments and/or features of an embodiment can be combined in any wayand/or combination. Applicant reserves the right to change anyoriginally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including theright to be able to amend any originally filed claim to depend fromand/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although notoriginally claimed in that manner. These and other objects and/oraspects of the present invention are explained in detail in thespecification set forth below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical prior art communication rackassembly containing multiple patch panels with connector ports that areselectively interconnected by patch cords.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a patch panel and an optional externaldatabase, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a fragmented front view of a patch panel, according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a fragmented front view of a patch panel, according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a fragmented perspective view of a patch panel, according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an electronic display for use with patchpanels according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 7A-7C are block diagrams illustrating methods of displayingconnection information for a connector port of a patch panel in acommunications patching system.

FIG. 8A is a side view of a frame of a patch panel system, according tosome embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8B is a front view of the frame of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of portions of a communicationssystem that may implement methods according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of an electronic work orderaccording to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating methods of executing patchingconnection changes according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 12A is a schematic diagram illustrating a technician making apatching change in a patching filed using a mobile system controlleraccording to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 12B is a perspective view of a mobile system controller accordingto embodiments of the present invention that is implemented in a pair ofeyeglasses.

FIG. 12C is a schematic view of a display on the mobile systemcontroller of FIG. 12B showing how a first step in a patching change maybe displayed to a technician.

FIG. 12D is a schematic view of the display on the mobile systemcontroller of FIG. 12B showing how the second step in the patchingchange may be displayed to the technician.

FIG. 12E is a schematic close-up view of one of the patch panels in FIG.12A that illustrates a readable label that is provided on the patchpanel to facilitate detecting patch cord insertions and removals fromconnector ports on the patch panel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention now is described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of theinvention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in manydifferent forms and should not be construed as limited to theembodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided sothat this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fullyconvey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used in thedescription of the invention herein is for the purpose of describingparticular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of theinvention. As used in the description of the invention and the appendedclaims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to includethe plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and allcombinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

In the drawings, the thickness of lines and elements may be exaggeratedfor clarity. It will be understood that when an element is referred toas being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other elementor intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when anelement is referred to as being “directly on” another element, there areno intervening elements present. It will be understood that when anelement is referred to as being “connected” or “attached” to anotherelement, it can be directly connected or attached to the other elementor intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when anelement is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directlyattached” to another element, there are no intervening elements present.The terms “upwardly”, “downwardly”, “vertical”, “horizontal” and thelike are used herein for the purpose of explanation only.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a patch panel 112, according to someembodiments of the present invention, is illustrated. The illustratedpatch panel 112 includes a plurality of connector ports 16. A patch cord20 (FIG. 1) has opposite ends with a connector 22 secured to each end.Each connector 22 is configured to be removably secured within arespective connector port 16.

Each connector port 16 is configured to detect when a patch cordconnector 22 is inserted within, and removed from, the respectiveconnector port 16. This detection is generally accomplished by any typeof sensor 130, including, but not limited to, mechanical sensors (e.g.,mechanical switches), passive optical based sensors, RFID sensors andelectrical based sensors. The sensor 130 may be integrated with theconnector port 16 or may be adjacent to the connector port 16.

Each connector 22 of a respective patch cord 20 has the same uniqueidentifier (i.e., uniquely paired identifier) in order to accuratelytrack connectivity. In some embodiments, the identifier is in the formof programmable memory. In some embodiments, the programmable memory isElectrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM). In someparticular embodiments, the identifier may be a 1-Wire® devicemanufactured by Maxim Integrated Products. The identifier and the sensor130, described above, may share components.

A controller 140 is typically electrically coupled to the connectorports 16 and/or the sensors 130. Therefore, the controller 140 iscapable of monitoring when a patch cord 20 is inserted into anyconnector port 16, or removed from any connector port 16. The controller140 is also capable of automatically keeping an accurate log of allchanges that have occurred to the patch cords 20. In some embodiments,the controller 140 is external to the patch panel 112. For example, thecontroller 140 may be a controller mounted on a rack 10 (FIG. 1). Insome embodiments, the controller 140 is electro-magnetically coupled tothe connector ports 16 and/or the sensors 130. For example, thecontroller 140 and the connector ports 16 and/or the sensors 130 couldcommunicate via wireless signals rather than by direct electricalcoupling.

The controller 140 may communicate with an internal or local database150. The database 150 monitors and logs patch cord interconnections withthe connector ports 16. Such information may be stored in memory, suchas EEPROM, associated with the database 150.

In some embodiments, an external database 155 may be included. Eitherdatabase 150, 155 may comprise a software database that is dedicated tomonitor and log patch cord interconnections with the connector ports 16.Either database 150, 155 may comprise a web based or Microsoft Excelbased program, and may provide user friendly connectivity informationand connectivity logs, for example via a display associated with apersonal computer, etc. In some embodiments, the external database 155communicates with the controller 140. In some other embodiments, theexternal database 155 communicates with the internal database 150. Theexternal database 155 and the controller 140 and/or the internaldatabase 150 may communicate via wireless signals (e.g., byelectro-magnetic coupling) or by direct electrical coupling.

The patch panel 112 includes or is in communication with a display 160.More particularly, the display 160 is in communication with thecontroller 140. The display 160 may communicate with the controller 140via wireless signals (e.g., by electro-magnetic coupling) or by directelectrical coupling. For example, in some embodiments, the display 160could be a display on a handheld computing device such as a smartphoneor a tablet computer that communicates wirelessly with the controller140 using, for example Bluetooth communications or Near FieldCommunication (NFC) technology. The display 160 displays portidentification information and real-time patch cord connectioninformation for each respective connector port 16, as described in moredetail below. The displayed patch cord connection information for eachconnector port 16 is dynamically updated by the controller 140 as apatch cord 20 is inserted and removed from a respective connector port16. As used herein, dynamically updating information (e.g., patch cordconnection information) is defined as updating the information inreal-time.

In some embodiments, the display 160 is positioned adjacent theconnector ports 16. For example, the patch panel may include a frontsurface 113 (FIG. 3), and the display 160 may be integrated with thefront surface 113 or may be visible through the front surface 113. Thefront surface 113 may be removable. In particular, the front surface 113may be removed and/or replaced to repair or upgrade the patch panel 112.For example, the front surface 113 including the display 160 may beinstalled on a patch panel that previously included no labels or paperlabels. Moreover, the front surface 113 including the display 160 may beinstalled when a previous display has malfunctioned or if the user wantsto upgrade the display.

In some embodiments, a printed circuit board (PCB) is secured to thepatch panel 112 and electrically coupled to the display 160. The PCB maybe positioned adjacent to the display 160 and may provide power to thedisplay 160. The PCB may provide interconnection with a controllerand/or a controller circuit, such as the controller 140 and/or a circuitassociated with the controller 140. In this regard, the PCB may serve toelectrically couple the controller 140 and the display 160. As describedbelow, in some embodiments, the display 160 comprises a plurality ofadjacent, spaced-apart portions. The PCB or a plurality of PCBs mayprovide interconnection between the spaced-apart portions.

Turning to FIG. 3, and according to some embodiments of the presentinvention, the display 160 is positioned adjacent to the connector ports16. The display 160 is configured to display port identificationinformation 162. The port identification information 162 identifies eachconnector port 16 on the display 160 adjacent to the respectiveconnector port 16. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the portidentification information 162 is displayed adjacent every connectorport 16, regardless of whether a patch cord 20 is inserted therein. Inother embodiments, the port identification information 162 may bedisplayed only adjacent to connector ports 16 that have patch cords 20inserted therein.

Patch cord connection information 164 may further be displayed on thedisplay 160 adjacent the connector ports 16. The patch cord connectioninformation 164 may be displayed adjacent the connector ports 16 when apatch cord 20 is inserted therein. In this regard, the patch cordinformation 164 is dynamically updated by the controller 140 as a patchcord 20 is inserted and removed from a respective connector port 16.

In some embodiments, and as shown in FIG. 3, the patch cord connectioninformation 164 may include end point connection information 166 toaccurately locate the end point (i.e., a different connector port 16) ofany patch cord 20. Furthermore, because the connectors 22 of arespective patch cord 20 have the same unique identifier, the patch cordconnection information 164 may also include patch cord identificationinformation 168 based on the unique identifier of the patch cord 20. Asshown in FIG. 3, the patch cord connection information 164 may bedisplayed only adjacent to connector ports 16 that have patch cords 20inserted therein.

In the embodiment exemplified in FIG. 3, the display 160 is positionedabove the connector ports 16. In this regard, port identificationinformation 162 and/or patch cord connection information 164 for eachconnector port 16 appear directly above the respective connector port16. In some other embodiments, the display 160 may be positioned beneaththe connector ports 16 such that port identification information 162and/or patch cord connection information 164 for each connector port 16appear directly below the respective connector port 16. The display 160may be mounted on or integrated with the patch panel 112 adjacent theconnector ports 16. Alternatively, the display 160 may be positionedsuch that the display 160 is visible through a surface of the patchpanel 112 adjacent the connector ports 16. As described above, the patchpanel 112 may include a front surface 113, and the display 160 may beintegrated with the front surface 113 or may be visible through thefront surface 113.

The display 160 may be capable of displaying more detailed connectivityinformation about each of the connector ports 16. Such information mayinclude the end points of the communications link associated with aparticular connector port 16 (e.g., switch and wall outlet points). Thedetailed connectivity information for each connector port 16 may take upmultiple lines on the display 160. However, because of space and otherlimitations, it may not be possible for the display 160 tosimultaneously display this detailed connectivity information for allthe connector ports 16. This is especially the case if the display 160is already displaying port identification information 162 and/or patchcord connection information 164 for each connector port 16.

According to some embodiments, manipulation of a user input device 170(FIG. 4) allows a user to navigate between different layers ofinformation on the display 160. The user input device 170 may comprise arotatable scroll wheel. According to some embodiments, pressing thescroll wheel takes a user from a mode such as the one seen in FIG. 3,wherein port identification information 162 and/or patch cord connectioninformation 164 is displayed, to a mode such as the one seen in FIG. 4,in which detailed connectivity information 172 associated with aparticular connector port 16 is displayed. Such information may includethe end points of the communications link associated with a particularconnector port 16 (e.g., switch and wall outlet points). Moreparticularly, the detailed connectivity information may represent a fullcommunications link (i.e., inclusive of endpoints beyond the patch cordconnection information 164). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, eachblock of information in the connectivity information 172 may representan identifier for a building, floor, room, rack, patch panel, connectorport or the like.

Still referring to FIG. 4, once the wheel is pressed, it may then berotated to scroll through the connector ports 16. As a particular port16 is selected, its port identification 174 is highlighted and thedetailed connectivity information 172 for that port 16 is displayed.

Although the user input device 170 has been exemplified as a rotatablescroll wheel, it is understood that the user input device 170 maycomprise any device known to those skilled in the art. It is furthercontemplated that the detailed connectivity information 172 may scrollacross the display 160 automatically rather than in a user initiatedfashion.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the user input device 170 may be adjacent tothe display 160. In some embodiments, the user input device 170 may bepositioned away from the display 160 and may allow the user to remotelyperform at least some of the functions described above. The user inputdevice 170 may be logically correlated to the display 160 to facilitateremote operation.

The display 160 and the connectivity information provided thereon maycomply with ANSI/TIA/EIA/606A standards, which provide guidelines forrecord keeping, label placement and link identification. TheANSI/TIA/EIA/606A standards are an evolving set of standards. Forexample, the ANSI/TIA/EIA/606A standards are a revised version of theANSI/TIA/EIA/606 standards. It is understood that the display 160 andthe connectivity information provided thereon may comply with the mostrecent revision of the ANSI/TIA/EIA/606A standards or the equivalent.The display 160 and the connectivity information provided thereon mayfurther comply with other national and international standards.

The display 160 may be capable of toggling between a custom labelingscheme, such as the modes shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and anANSI/TIA/EIA/606A (or like national or international standard) compliantscheme. The custom labeling scheme may represent a company ororganization specific standard and may be a default setting. In someembodiments, the user may toggle between a custom labeling scheme and anANSI/TIA/EIA/606A (or like national or international standard) compliantscheme using the user input device 170. In some embodiments, wherein theuser input device 170 comprises a scroll wheel, the user may press thescroll wheel to toggle between a custom labeling scheme, such as themodes shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and an ANSI/TIA/EIA/606A (or like nationalor international standard) compliant scheme.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the display 160 comprises aplurality of adjacent, spaced-apart portions such that each portionspans only some (e.g., six) of the plurality of connector ports 16 ofthe patch panel 112. In some embodiments, each portion of the display160 may have a footprint about 100 millimeters by about 15 millimeters.In some embodiments, each portion of the display 160 may have afootprint no greater than 2000 square millimeters. Alternatively, insome embodiments, the display 160 may be continuous and may be adjacentto all the connector ports 16 of the patch panel 112. The size of thedisplay 160 and/or each portion of the display 160 may be consistentwith and/or dependent on the mounting pitch of the connector ports 16.In this regard, the size of the display 160 and/or each portion of thedisplay 160 may be consistent with and/or dependent on the type ofconnector ports 16 (e.g., SC, LC, RJ45, MPO) associated with the patchpanel 112.

The display 160 may be any type of display, including, but not limitedto, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) displayan organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, and a vacuum fluorescentdisplay (VCD). In some embodiments, the display 160 may be backlitand/or make use of inverted colors to ensure viewability in dark spacessuch as cabinets and telecommunication closets.

Turning now to FIG. 5, a patch panel 112′ is illustrated according tosome embodiments of the present invention. The patch panel 112′ sharesthe same features as the patch panel 112 described above with thefollowing differences. The patch panel 112′ includes a plurality of arms176 extending outwardly away from the patch panel front surface 113. Anelectronic display 160′ is attached to the distal ends of the arms 176and positioned in front of or substantially in front of the connectorports 16. As illustrated, the arms 176 may include openings 178 throughwhich the connector ports 16 and/or cords connected therewith may beaccessed.

Thus, the display 160′ may be spaced outwardly from the connector ports16. This outward spacing allows for a relatively large display 160′, ascompared to the display 160 that is integrated with or visible through afront surface 113 of the patch panel 112. The display 160′ may have alength that spans a substantial portion of a length of the patch panel112′.

The relatively large size of the display 160′ may allow for moreinformation to be displayed simultaneously. For example, the portidentification information 162 ₁ and/or patch cord connectioninformation 164 ₁ and/or detailed connectivity information 172 ₁ foreach connector port 16 of the patch panel 112′ may be displayedsimultaneously. This information can include all of the data asdescribed above in reference to the port identification information 162and the patch cord connection information 164 and the detailedconnectivity information 172.

The port identification information 162 ₁ and/or patch cord connectioninformation 164 ₁ and/or detailed connectivity information 172 ₁associated with the connector ports 16 of the patch panel 112′ may takeup substantially all the space on the display 160′. In some otherembodiments, because of its relatively large size, the display 160′ canalso display connectivity information associated with other patch panels(e.g., other patch panels on the same rack). For example, portidentification information 162 ₂ and/or patch cord connectioninformation 164 ₂ and/or detailed connectivity information 172 ₂ foreach connector port 16 of one or more different patch panels (e.g., asecond patch panel on the same rack) may be displayed.

Thus, the display 160′ may display connectivity information for each ofthe ports 16 of the patch panel 112′ (i.e., each of the ports 16 of thepatch panel 112′ that the display 160′ is adjacent to), or may displayconnectivity information for the patch panel 112′ and one or more otherpatch panels of a rack or a cabinet. In some embodiments, variousinformation may scroll along the display 160′; such scrolling may beautomatic or may be user initiated. In some other embodiments, thedisplay 160′ may be a touch screen display. Such a touch screen mayallow a user to scroll through information, or may allow a user to viewinformation associated with different patch panels that are incommunication with the display, for example.

In some embodiments, the display 160′ may be configured to displaygeneral information 180 in addition to the connectivity information.Thus, the relatively large display 160′ can conveniently display thegeneral information 180, which is typically displayed remotely from apatch panel, along with labeling or connectivity information associatedwith the ports 16. The general information 180 can include, for example,environmental data such as the current system temperature. The generalinformation 180 can also include such data as the current cooling level,the current power level, the current average data throughput, and thenumber or percent of connector ports available and/or in use.

In some embodiments, the display 160′ is optically semi-transparent orsemi-translucent to allow a user to see through the display 160′ to thepatch panel 112′, and particularly to the connector ports 16 and cablesconnected therewith.

In some embodiments, the arms 176 can include channels or grooves (notshown) for routing of cables.

Turning now to FIGS. 8A and 8B, a patch panel system is illustrated. Thesystem includes a frame 10′ configured to support equipment mountedthereto in a plurality of spaced-apart mounting locations. In someembodiments, the frame 10′ comprises a rack, such as the rack 10illustrated in FIG. 1, for example. One or more patch panels 112′″ aremounted to the frame 10′ in spaced-apart locations. The system alsoincludes at least one controller associated with the one or more patchpanels 112′″. The at least one controller monitors and logs the patchcord connectivity for the one or more patch panels 112′″. In someembodiments, the controller is a rack controller. In some otherembodiments, each patch panel 112′″ can include a dedicated controller,such as the controller 140 described in detail above.

The patch panel system also includes a display 160′″ movably secured tothe frame 10′. The display 160′″ is configured to display patch cordconnectivity information monitored by the at least one controller forthe one or more patch panels 112′″. The display 160′″ is movable alongthe frame 10′ (as indicated by the arrows). The display 160′″ generallyfaces away from the patch panels 112′″.

In some embodiments, the frame 10′ includes first and second verticallyoriented members 184 in an opposing spaced-apart relationship. Thedisplay 160′″ can be movably secured to at least one of the twovertically oriented members 184.

In the illustrated embodiment, the display 160′″ is attached to a wheel186. The frame 10′ includes a plurality of apertures 188. For example,the apertures 188 may be positioned in one or both of the verticallyoriented members 184 (the apertures 188 may be thought of as forming oneor more “tracks”). The wheel 186 has a plurality of outwardly extendingprojections 190 sized and configured to fit within the apertures 188.The wheel 186 may be rotatable such that an adjacent projection 190 fitswithin an adjacent aperture 188 to allow translational movement of thedisplay 160′″ (i.e., up and down movement as indicated by the arrows)while also providing electronic communication between the display 160′″and the at least one controller.

The wheel 186 and/or the display 160′″ may include mechanisms to preventthe display 160′″ from rotating along with the wheel 186. For example, agear may be connected to the wheel 186 and the display 160′″ may beconnected to the same gear or an associated gear, with the gear(s)configured to offset any rotational movement of the wheel 186.Alternatively, the display 160′″ may be relatively loosely attached to ashaft associated with the wheel 186 such that, when the wheel 186rotates, the shaft “slips” at its interface with the display 160′″. Inthis regard, the shaft urges the display 160′″ up or down as the wheel186 rotates, but does not urge the display 160′″ to rotate with thewheel. Other mechanisms to prevent rotation of the display 160′″ arecontemplated and are well known to those of skill in this art.

In some embodiments, each aperture 188 includes a contact therewithin.The contacts may provide power to the display 160′″ and/or may providecommunication to the display 160′″. In particular, the contacts mayserve as a communication link between the at least one controller andthe display 160′″.

The apertures 188 may be positioned such that, when one of theprojections 190 of the wheel 186 fits in one of the apertures 188, thedisplay 160′″ may be positioned adjacent the connector ports 16associated with a particular patch panel 112′″. In other words, eachaperture may be associated with a particular patch panel 112′″.

In various embodiments, the apertures 188 associated with a particularpatch panel 112′″ may be positioned such that the display 160′″ isabove, below, or substantially in front of the patch panel 112′″ when aprojection 190 of the wheel 186 is positioned in the aperture 188.

The connectivity information on the display may include information suchas the port identification information 162 and/or patch cord connectioninformation 164 and/or detailed connectivity information 172 describedabove in reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

Furthermore, the display 160′″ may be relatively large because it doesnot need to be integrated with or visible through a front surface of apatch panel 112′″. Thus, the display 160′″ may be able to displayinformation such as the port identification information 162 ₁ and/orpatch cord connection information 164 ₁ and/or detailed connectivityinformation 172 ₁ for each connector port 16 of the patch panel 112′adjacent the display 160′″, and may also be able to display informationsuch as the port identification information 162 ₂ and/or patch cordconnection information 164 ₂ and/or detailed connectivity information172 ₂ for each connector port 16 of one or more different patch panels112′″, as described above in reference the display 160′. Moreover, thedisplay 160′″ may have a length that spans a substantial portion of alength of the patch panel 112′″.

It is understood that the display 160′″ may be movable along the frame10′ in ways other than described above. For example, the display 160′″may be connected to one or more carriers that are configured to move thedisplay up and down the frame 10′. The carriers may be in tracks, suchas continuous tracks, and may be controlled such that the carriers stopat certain vertical positions such that the display is positioned above,below, or substantially in front of a particular patch panel 112′″. Thetrack can include a plurality of contacts, similar to the contactsdescribed above with regard to the apertures 188, to provide power tothe display 160′″ and/or to communicate information to the display160′″. In some other embodiments, the display 160′″ may itself bemovable and positionable along one or more tracks. For example, thedisplay 160′″ may include arms (such as the arms 176 associated with thedisplay 160′ in FIG. 5), and one or more of the arms could couple withone or more tracks.

There may be one track, or there may be more than one “track” in which acarrier or a wheel moves. For example, there may be two verticalcontinuous tracks or two vertically disposed plurality of apertures eachforming a “track,” and these tracks may be located in or on the frame10′ or may be in or on the vertically oriented members 184. Thus, acarrier or wheel may move along each of the tracks, and the display maybe attached to both of the carriers or wheels.

The display 160′″ may be moved manually by an operator to a desiredposition. In this regard, the apertures 188 and/or the projections 190can be configured to provide audible and/or tactile feedback to a userto help ensure the projection 190 is properly positioned in the aperture188. In embodiments using a carrier other than the wheel 186, the trackmay include grooves positioned to provide the same type of feedback to auser.

Furthermore, the display 160′″ may be moved automatically in response toa command from a user. There may be a user interface device positionedon or adjacent the frame 10′, the display 160′″, or a user interfacedevice may be positioned remotely away from the system. The display160′″ may comprise a touch screen, similar to as described in referenceto the display 160′ of FIG. 5, and the touch screen may allow a user tomove and/or position the display 160′″ as desired.

Turning now to FIG. 6, a display 160″ for use with patch panels orgroups of patch panels, according to some embodiments of the presentinvention, is illustrated. The display 160″ may be mounted to a patchpanel, to a rack, to a stand, to a wall, etc. For example, the display160″ could be removably mounted to a frame, such as the rack 10illustrated in FIG. 1. More particularly, the display 160″ could beremovably mounted to a side of the rack. The display 160′″ may beremovably mounted at about eye-level for ease of use. Alternatively, thedisplay 160″ could be portable; for example, the display 160″ could bethe display of a wireless terminal such as a PDA or smartphone. Like thepreviously described displays 160, 160′, and 160′″, the display 160″communicates with one or more controllers associated with one or morepatch panels.

The display 160″ may be particularly useful in environments where it isdesirable to monitor a plurality of patch panels, such as in a telecomcloset or a data center. The display 160″ may be configured to displayconnectivity information associated with patch panels of one or moreracks and/or one or more cabinets, for example. In the illustratedembodiment, port identification information 162′₁ and/or patch cordconnection information 162′₁ and/or detailed connectivity information172′₂ of various patch panels of a first rack and port identificationinformation 162′₂ and/or patch cord connection information 164′₂ and/ordetailed connectivity information 172′₂ of various patch panels of asecond rack can be displayed. This information can include all of thedata as described above in reference to the port identificationinformation 162 and the patch cord connection information 164 and thedetailed connectivity information 172.

In some embodiments, the display 160″ comprises a touch screenconfigured to show a graphical representation of the racks or cabinets,such as the graphical representation 182 showing a pair of racks. Thus,a user may be able to touch a particular panel in the graphicalrepresentation 182, to display that panel's connectivity information,such as the connectivity information 162′₁ and 162′₁. In otherembodiments, a separate user interface (not shown) may allow a user toselect a particular patch panel. In still other embodiments, variousinformation may scroll along the display 160″; such scrolling may beautomatic or may be user initiated.

The display 160″ may simultaneously display general information 180,such as the information described above in reference to the display 160′of FIG. 5.

It will be understood that various features of the displays 160, 160′,160″ and 160′″ are interchangeable. It will further be understood thatany of the displays are configured to display detailed connectivityinformation associated with a particular connector port. Such detailedconnectivity information may include information about associatedswitches, servers, storage devices, and the like. It will also beunderstood that each of the displays 160, 160′, 160″ and 160′″communicate with at least one controller, such as the controller 140described above and illustrated in FIG. 2. This communication may bewireless or may be via direct electrical coupling.

As described in more detail above, the displays and/or their associatedcontrollers may communicate with a database, such as an externaldatabase. The displays may be used with patch panels that do not includevarious sensing technology (e.g., no port sensing). These “passivepanels” may be updated remotely (for example, using the database) suchthat any of the displays disclosed herein may still displaycomprehensive connectivity information. Manual updating may also beuseful in other configurations, such as where the cords do not includeidentifiers.

Methods of displaying patch cord connection information for a connectorport of a patch panel, according to some embodiments of the presentinvention, are illustrated in FIGS. 7A-7C. One method (FIG. 7A) includesthe steps of detecting insertion of a patch cord connector in a patchpanel connector port (block 200), detecting an identifier of the patchcord connector (block 210) and displaying in real time the detectedpatch cord connector identifier via an electronic display adjacent tothe connector port (block 220).

Another method (FIG. 7B) further includes detecting insertion of aconnector at the opposite end of the patch cord in another patch panelconnector port (block 230) and displaying an identification of the otherconnector port via the electronic display (block 240). Yet anothermethod (FIG. 7C) further includes displaying identifications of endpoints of a communications link associated with the connector port(block 250).

Currently, there is a large installed base of passive (i.e.,non-intelligent) patch panels and network equipment that do not includecapabilities for automatically sensing patching changes and for thennotifying a system controller to automatically update a connectivitydatabase to reflect such patching changes. When technicians executepatching changes at these passive (non-intelligent) patch panels, theymust update the connectivity database later, typically by entering thecompleted patching changes into the connectivity database using, forexample, a computer. Unfortunately, when the computer that is used toupdate the connectivity database is not accessible at the patching fieldwhere the patching changes are made, then there necessarily is a delaybetween execution of the patching change and the updating of theconnectivity database. In some instances, technicians may wait for hoursor days before updating the connectivity database. If other techniciansexecute further patching changes or equipment changes before theconnectivity database is updated, problems may ensue. Moreover, there isalways a possibility that the technician forgets to input the changes atall, introducing errors into the connectivity database that will need tobe tracked down and corrected later.

One method of avoiding such potential errors in the connectivitydatabase is to replace the installed base of passive patch panels andnetwork equipment with intelligent patch panels and network equipmentthat automatically track patching changes. However, such replacement maybe very costly. Pursuant to further embodiments of the presentinvention, methods are provided which may partially or fully automatethe process of recording patching changes that are made at passive patchpanels and network equipment that may reduce the likelihood that errorsarise in the connectivity database.

In particular, FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of portions of acommunications system/network 300 according to further embodiments ofthe present invention. As shown in FIG. 9, the communications system 300includes a patching field 310. The patching field 310 may include, forexample, a plurality of rack mounted patch panels 320-1 through 320-N.Each patch panel 320 may include a plurality of connector ports 322.Horizontal cables 330 may extend from the back end of each patch panelconnector port 322 (only a few representative horizontal cables 330 aredepicted in FIG. 9). These horizontal cables 330 may connect (eitherdirectly or indirectly) to various other elements of the communicationssystem 300 such as other patch panel or wall-mounted connector ports,network equipment or end user equipment. In the depicted embodiment, thepatching field 310 further includes a plurality of rack-mounted networkswitches 324-1 through 324-M. Each network switch 324 may include aplurality of connector ports 326. Cables or patch cords 332 may connecteach network switch 324 to other network equipment such as servers,routers, memory devices and the like. A plurality of patch cords 336 maybe used to selectively interconnect the connector ports 322 on the patchpanels 320 with the connector ports 326 on the network switches 324.

The communications system 300 further includes a system administrationcomputer 350 and a connectivity database 360. The connectivity database360 may include information on all of the patching connections withinthe communications system 300, specifically including identification asto all of the patch cord connections between patch panels (incross-connect style patching fields) and as to all of the patch cordconnections between patch panels and network equipment (ininterconnect-style patching fields such as the example patching field310 depicted in FIG. 9).

As is further shown in FIG. 9, at least one display device 340 isprovided at the patching field 310. The display 340 may be connected bya wireless and/or wired connection to the system administration computer350 and/or to the connectivity database 360. In some embodiments, thedisplay 340 may be the display on a rack manager or controller that isincluded, for example, on a rack of patch panels, network switches,network equipment or the like. In other embodiments, the display 340 maybe the display on a portable computing device such as, for example, atablet computer or a smartphone that communicates with the systemadministration computer 350 and/or to the connectivity database 360using, for example Bluetooth communications or Near Field Communication(NFC) technology to wirelessly communicate with a controller at thepatching field that has a hardwired communication link to the systemadministration computer 350 and/or to the connectivity database 360.Pursuant to still further embodiments, the display 340 may be a displaythat is installed in a retrofit operation on or near a patch panel ornetwork device that is subject to a patching connection change (e.g.,installed on an equipment rack on which the patch panel or networkswitch is mounted).

When a patching change is required (i.e., when a patch cord 336 is to beadded, removed or moved to connect different connector ports), a controldevice of the communications system 300 such as the systemadministration computer 350 may generate an electronic work order 370.The electronic work order 370 may be a work order that is suitable fordisplay on an electronic display device such as the display 340. Theelectronic work order 370 may be transmitted from the systemadministrator computer 350 to the display 340 where it is displayed to atechnician. The electronic work order 370 may identify the patchingchange that is required by, for example, identifying the type ofpatching change (e.g., adding a new patching connection, deleting anexisting patching connection or changing an existing patchingconnection) and may identify the patch panel connector ports 322 and/ornetwork equipment connector ports 326 that are impacted by the patchingchange. The use of electronic work orders for implementing patchingchanges is discussed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,522,737, theentire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

In some embodiments, the electronic work order 370 may comprisestep-by-step instructions that specify each operation required tocomplete the patching change. These instructions may comprise writteninstructions, graphics and any other appropriate indicators that heldguide the technician to perform the patching change. For example,connector ports on servers often are not labeled, and therefore thestep-by-step instructions for a patching change involving a serverconnector port may include a picture or other graphic that includes anindicator identifying the connector port on the server that is involvedin the patching change. FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of such astep-by-step electronic work order 370 displayed on a touch-screendisplay 340. As shown in FIG. 10, the electronic work order 370, whichin this case specifies the addition of a new patching connection, listseach step 372, 374 that is required to complete the patching change.Additionally, the electronic work order 370 includes “step completed”icons 382, 384 that are positioned adjacent the respective enumeratedsteps 372, 374.

The electronic work order 370 may be displayed to the technician via thedisplay 340. In this manner, the technician is conveniently provided apaperless work order at the location of the equipment that is involvedin the patching change. After reviewing the electronic work order 370,the technician may then implement the first step 372 of the patchingchange. For instance, in the example illustrated in FIG. 10 where thepatching change is adding a new patching connection, the first step 372of the patching change is installing the first end of the new patch cordinto connector port 22 on patch panel 6 on equipment rack 4. Once thetechnician performs this first step 372, the technician may press theicon 382 on the touchscreen display 340. In response to this action bythe technician (i.e., the activation of an input mechanism in the formof the technician pressing the icon 382), a message is sent to thesystem administration computer 350 that the first step 372 of thepatching change identified in electronic work order 370 has beencompleted. The system administration computer 350 may then update theconnectivity database 360 accordingly. In embodiments that do notinclude a touch screen display 340, the technician may use a differenttype of user input device that is associated with the display 340, suchas a keyboard, pointer, etc., to cause a computing device that isassociated with the display 340 to send the message to the systemadministration computer 350 and/or the connectivity database 360.

Next, the technician may perform the second step 374 of the patchingchange. Once the technician performs the second step 374, the technicianmay press the icon 384 on the display 340. In response to this action bythe technician (i.e., the activation of an input mechanism in the formof the technician pressing the icon 384), a message is sent to thesystem administration computer 350 that the second step 374 of thepatching change identified in electronic work order 370 has beencompleted. The system administration computer 350 may then update theconnectivity database 360 to reflect the addition of the new patchingconnection. In this manner, the means for updating the connectivitydatabase 360 may be largely automated (as the technician may only needto, for example, press a few buttons on the display 340), and theupdates to the connectivity database 360 may be performed essentially inreal time.

In some embodiments (such as the embodiment of FIG. 10 discussed above),the electronic work order 370 may be configured so that the technicianis instructed to press a button or activate some other input mechanismafter the completion of each step of a patching change operation. Inother embodiments, the technician may complete the entire patchingchange operation and only then notify the connectivity database 360 thatthe patching change has been completed. This may allow the technician toupdate the connectivity database 360 by, for example, pushing a singlebutton on a touch screen display that confirms that the patchingoperation has been completed. In some embodiments, the communicationssystem 300 may be configured so that it will not deliver a subsequentelectronic work order 370 to the technician until the technicianconfirms (via inputting information using the display 340) that thecurrent electronic work order 370 has been completed or indicates thatcompletion of the electronic work order 370 has been postponed ordelayed. This feature may act as a safeguard that requires a technicianto interact with the display 240 during (or immediately after) theexecution of each electronic work order 370, which may increase thelikelihood that the technician timely and accurately uses the display340 to update the connectivity database 360 upon the completion of eachelectronic work order 370.

In some embodiments, the display 340 may only support patchingactivities for a single equipment rack, or may only display informationrelating to patching activities at one equipment rack at any given time.This may help reduce errors that may occur as technicians inputinformation regarding patching changes when selecting equipment portsfor patching or tracing. In other embodiments, however, patchingactivities regarding multiple equipment racks may be displayed on asingle display 340.

As noted above, the display 340 that is provided at the patching field310 may comprise, for example, (1) a display on a rack manager orcontroller, (2) a display that is retroactively installed on or adjacentto the patch panel or network switch or (3) a display on a portablecomputing device such as, for example, a tablet computer or a smartphonethat communicates wirelessly with the system administration computer 350and/or to the connectivity database 360 using, for example Bluetoothcommunications or NFC technology. In other embodiments, other emergingdisplay technologies may be used. For example, Google Glass® is a newproduct that implements mobile computing technology into a pair ofeyeglasses such as a pair of sunglasses to provide “intelligent”sunglasses. Information is displayed through at least one of the lensesof the pair of intelligent eyeglasses for viewing by an individualwearing the glasses (in some cases the lenses may be omitted). Theindividual wearing the pair of intelligent eyeglasses may inputinformation via voice commands that are received through a microphone onthe intelligent eyeglasses. Thus, in some embodiments, the steps of apatching change may be sequentially displayed to a technician on thedisplay of the intelligent eyeglasses, and as each step is completed bythe technician the technician can update the connectivity database by,for example, a voice command of “STEP COMPLETED” that is received via amicrophone o the intelligent eyeglasses and used to update theconnectivity database. The next step in the patching change may then bedisplayed on the display of the eyeglasses. Thus, it will be appreciatedthat in further embodiments a wearable display such as a displayincorporated into a pair of intelligent eyeglasses may be used toimplement the display 340.

As yet another example, wearable gesturable interfaces are beingdeveloped that include, for example, a “pocket” computing device, apocket projector and a camera. An example of such a system is theSixthSense system, which is described atwww.pranavmistry.com/projects/sixthsense. The projector may be used toproject information onto any convenient surface, turning such surfacesinto a display device. The camera may be used to track the movement of auser's fingers, and thus the “surface” display can be configured to actlike the equivalent of a touchscreen display by tracking the user'sfinger movements on the display. Thus, as another example, a wearablegesturable interface may be used to implement the display 340 in otherembodiments.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating methods of executing patchingconnection changes according to embodiments of the present invention. Asshown in FIG. 11, operations may begin with an electronic work orderbeing displayed to a technician on a display that is located in apatching field that includes the patching connection that is to beadded, deleted or changed (block 400). The technician may then performthe first step of the patching change specified in the work order (block410). Upon completion of this step, the technician activates an inputmechanism on the display by for example, pressing an icon on a touchscreen display, activating an icon on a non-touch screen display using apointing device, etc. (block 420). Activation of this input mechanismcauses a message to be sent (directly or indirectly) to a systemcontroller (block 430). The technician may then perform the second stepof the patching change specified in the work order (block 440). Uponcompletion of this second step, the technician again activates an inputmechanism on the display (block 450). Activation of this input mechanismcauses a message to be sent directly or indirectly to the systemcontroller (block 460). The messages that are sent to the systemcontroller may be messages indicating that the respective first andsecond steps have been completed. The system controller may update theconnectivity database to reflect the completion of the patching change.

While the method of executing a patching connection change that isdescribed above with respect to FIG. 11 sends messages to the systemcontroller after the completion of each individual step of a patchingchange, it will be appreciated that in other embodiments the technicianmay only need activate the input mechanism once after the patchingchange is completed, at which time a single message is sent to thesystem controller. In still other embodiments, the electronic work ordermay include multiple patching changes, and the technician may onlyactivate the input mechanism after all of the patching changes arecompleted, at which time a single message is sent to the systemcontroller to notify the system controller that all of the patchingchanges listed in the work order were completed.

The above-described embodiments of the present invention that use adisplay and electronic work orders to update a connectivity database toreflect patching changes may provide a relatively inexpensive andconvenient mechanism for mostly automating tracking of patchingconnection changes. While such a system may still be susceptible totechnician errors (e.g., where a technician inserts a patch cord into,or removes a patch cord from, the incorrect connector port), it providesa simple and intuitive means for a technician to update the connectivitydatabase, and may avoid typographical input errors that might otherwiseoccur (since the technician need only press a button upon completing astep or a patching change).

Embodiments of the present invention that have a technician sendnotification messages that update the connectivity database via adisplay that is located in a patching field may be particularlyappropriate for use in interconnect-style patching fields where patchcords are used to directly connect connectors ports on the patch panelsto corresponding connector ports on network devices such as networkswitches. Typically, it is more difficult or expensive to automaticallytrack patching connection changes in interconnect-style patchingsystems, as network equipment is generally not available that haspreinstalled capabilities for sensing patch cord plug insertions andremovals and/or for determining patch cord connectivity information andtransmitting that information to a connectivity database. By allowing atechnician to simply and conveniently update the connectivity databaseby, for example, pressing a button on a touch screen display it ispossible to avoid the additional expense and complexity of a fullyautomated patch cord connectivity tracking solution.

As noted above, in some embodiments of the present invention, thedisplay 340 may be incorporated into or work in conjunction with amobile system controller. The mobile system controller is a controllerthat may be carried or worn by a technician that displays information toa technician to assist in performing patching changes and/or whichcollects information that is used to automatically track patchingconnection changes. The use of mobile system controllers may provide anumber of advantages such as, for example, the ability to use thecontroller with multiple equipment racks, the use of less rack space,simpler set-up of the patching system, etc. Moreover, the use of mobilesystem controllers may facilitate tracking patching connection changesto network switches, and other network devices without requiring anyspecialized tracking devices, equipment or patch cords. In some exampleembodiments, the mobile system controllers may be implemented, forexample, on smartphones, tablet computers, intelligent eyeglasses suchas Google Glass eyeglasses or on wearable gestural interfaces such as,for example, 3-dimensional sensor technology that is available fromPrimeSense. In other embodiments, fixed system controllers may be usedthat are positioned at the patching field, but which are not necessarilymounted on or part of an equipment rack. For example, a computer and oneor more cameras could be located above a patching field and positionedso that one of the cameras may view actions that are taking place at theequipment racks. The use of such mobile or fixed system controllers mayallow further “intelligence” to be added to connector ports on“non-intelligent” devices such as conventional patch panels, networkswitches and the like.

One example embodiment of a mobile system controller and the use thereofwill now be described with reference to FIGS. 12A-12D. In this exampleembodiment, the mobile system controller is implemented using a pair ofGoogle Glass® eyeglasses that may be worn by a technician. It will beappreciated that the Google Glass® eyeglasses are simply one example ofa mobile system controller, and that other technologies mayalternatively be used.

As shown in FIG. 12A; a patching change may be necessary in a patchingfield 500 that includes a plurality of equipment racks 510 (only oneequipment rack 510 is illustrated in FIG. 12A in order to simplify thedrawing) that contain patch panels, network switches and/or variousother network equipment. In the depicted embodiment, three patch panels560-1, 560-2, 560-3 are mounted on the equipment rack 510, as is aconventional rack controller 570. Each patch panel 560 includes aplurality of connector ports 562. The rack controller 570 may be incommunication with a system administrator computer 530 that may belocated elsewhere. The rack controller 570 may have wirelesscommunications capabilities such as Bluetooth or NFC communicationscapabilities. A technician is in control of a mobile system controller520 (i.e., the intelligent eyeglasses 520). The mobile system controller520 may be in communications with the system administrator computer 530via, for example, a Bluetooth communication link between the mobilesystem controller 520 and the rack controller 570 and a wiredcommunications link between the rack controller 570 and the systemadministrator computer 530.

FIG. 12B is a perspective view of the intelligent eyeglasses 520 thatcomprise the mobile system controller. As shown in FIG. 12B, theintelligent eyeglasses 520 include a display 522 that the technician canview through one of the lenses of the intelligent eyeglasses 520. Theeyeglasses 520 may also include a camera 524, a processor 526, awireless communications module 528 and input/output devices 529 such as,for example, a microphone and a speaker.

Referring again to FIG. 12A, the system administrator computer 530 mayinitiate a patching change by transmitting an electronic work order 540to the intelligent eyeglasses 520. In the depicted embodiment, thesystem administrator computer 530 transmits the electronic work order540 to the rack controller 570 over a wired connection, and the rackcontroller 570 wirelessly transmits the electronic work order 540 to theintelligent eyeglasses 520 over, for example, a Bluetooth or NFCwireless connection. In other embodiments, the system administratorcomputer 530 may transmit the electronic work order 540 directly to theintelligent eyeglasses 520 over, for example, a wireless network (e.g.,WiFi) or the cellular network. In this example, the electronic workorder 540 instructs the technician to remove a first end of a patch cord550 from a connector port 562-1 on the second patch panel 560-2 and tothen plug the first end of patch cord 550 into a connector port 562-2 ona third patch panel 560-3.

As shown in FIG. 12C, the display 322 on the intelligent eyeglasses 520may display a picture of the second patch panel 560-2, and may highlightthe connector port 562-1 that the first end of patch cord 550 is to beremoved from. As is also shown in FIG. 12C, the display 522 may alsoinclude explicit step-by-step instructions to the technician of theactions that will be necessary to implement the patching changespecified in the electronic work order 540. As the display 522 providesa visual indicator to the technician of the connector port 562-1 thatthe patch cord 550 should be removed from, it may not be necessary toprovide conventional visual indicators such as LEDs at each connectorport on the second patch panel 560-2 that are conventionally used toguide technicians to the correct connector port.

Once the technician has removed the first end of patch cord 550 fromconnector port 562-2, the technician may, for example, use a voicecommand such as “STEP COMPLETED” to notify the intelligent eyeglasses520 that the first end of patch cord 550 has been removed from connectorport 562-1. As shown in FIG. 12D, the intelligent eyeglasses 520 maythen update the display 522 to show the next step in the patchingchange, which in this case is plugging the first end of patch cord 550into connector port 562-2 on patch panel 560-3. A picture or schematicimage of patch panel 560-2 may be pictured on the display 522, andconnector port 562-2 may be highlighted in some fashion. Once thetechnician has plugged the first end of patch cord 550 into theconnector port 562-2, the technician may, for example, use a voicecommand such as “STEP COMPLETED” to notify the intelligent eyeglasses520 that the first end of patch cord 550 has been plugged into connectorport 562-2. The intelligent eyeglasses 520 may then transmit a messageto the system administrator computer 530 that the first end of patchcord 550 has been inserted into connector port 562-2 on patch panel560-2.

In still further embodiments, the mobile system controller 520 may fullyautomate tracking the connectivity changes associated with each patchingchange. For example, in further embodiments, the intelligent eyeglasses520 in the example above may be configured to “sense” the insertion andremoval of patch cords from the patch panels 560 and other networkequipment that is mounted on the equipment racks 510, and to thentransmit information regarding the detected patch cord insertion orremoval to another controller such as the system administrator computer530 that runs the network management software

For example, as shown in FIG. 12E, which is a schematic close-up view ofthe patch panel 560-2, a readable label such as a bar code 564 may beprovided on each patch panel and other items of equipment mounted on theequipment racks 510. The intelligent eyeglasses 520 may include barcodescanning software. The intelligent eyeglasses 520 may be programmed touse the camera 524 to automatically identify and read the barcodes (suchas barcode 564) on the patch panels and other equipment. The barcode 564may have data embedded therein such as equipment identificationinformation (e.g., a patch panel identification number) and informationon the type of equipment (e.g., a Systimax GS6 version 3.1 24-port patchpanel). Once the intelligent eyeglasses 520 locate the patch panel560-2, they may query a database to determine the location of connectorport 562 on patch panel 560-2. Images taken using the camera 524 maythen be compared, for example, to stored images to determine whether thefirst end 552 of patch cord 550 has been removed from connector port562-1. Once the intelligent eyeglasses 520 sense that the patch cord 550has been removed from connector port 562-1 (by, for example, obtainingan image on camera 524 of connector port 562-1 that matches a storedimage of connector port 562-1 with no patch cord inserted therein), thenthe intelligent eyeglasses 520 may transmit an instruction to a centralcontroller such as the system administrator computer 530 indicating thatthe first end 552 of patch cord 550 has been removed from connector port562-1.

In still other embodiments, bar codes or other optical identifiers maybe provided on each patch cord (e.g., on the strain relief boot of eachplug) and each connector port. In such embodiments, the system maysimply scan a piece of equipment (e.g., a patch panel or a networkswitch) or an entire equipment rack and automatically determine whichpatch cords are connected where. So long as the patch cords are arrangedso that the scanner is able to scan each identifier, these embodimentsmay provide a very simple way to track all of the patching cordconnections in a patching field.

In some embodiments, the camera 524 and barcode scanning software on theintelligent eyeglasses 520 may also be used to identify any errors thatthe technician may make in implementing a patching change. Inparticular, when a technician is inserting or removing a patch cord froma connector port, they will typically look directly at the connectorport that is involved in the patching change. The camera 524 may have arelatively wide field of view, as this may facilitate capturing imagesof barcodes 564 that may be mounted on a piece of equipment (e.g., apatch panel or a network switch) at some distance from at least some ofthe connector ports on the piece of the equipment. However, the centralportion of each image captured by the camera 524 will typically focus onthe connector port that is involved in the patching change (and perhapsa small number of other connector ports). The intelligent eyeglasses 520may be programmed to process the central portions of the images capturedby the camera 524 to determine the identity of the connector ports inthe central portion of the field of view and the status of thoseconnector ports (e.g., they do or do not have a patch cord insertedtherein). This information may be forwarded to the system administrationcomputer 530 and compared to stored information regarding which of theseconnector ports should have patch cords therein. If a determination ismade that a patch cord has been plugged into a connector port that isnot supposed to have a patch cord therein (or that a patch cord has beenremoved from a connector port that should still have a patch cordplugged into it), an error message may be generated and transmitted tothe technician, where it may be provided to the technician via an outputdevice such as a speaker on the intelligent eyeglasses 520 or as anerror message on the display 522. In this fashion, not only can theintelligent eyeglasses 520 be used to (1) lead the technician throughthe steps of the patching change and (2) automatically update theconnectivity database in real time as the steps of the patching changeare carried out, but they may also be used to (3) identify any errorsmade by the technician, such as removing the wrong patch cord from thewrong connector port or plugging a patch cord into the wrong connectorport, and to then identify these errors to the technician in real timein the patching field 500. This may result in significant time savingssince technicians may immediately correct their mistakes as opposed tohaving to retrace their steps later to do so.

Thus, in the example above, once the technician has removed the firstend 552 of patch cord 550 from connector port 562-1, the intelligenteyeglasses 520 may sense that the patch cord 550 has been removed bycomparing an image of connector port 562-1 that is captured by thecamera 524 to a stored image (or other information) that is sufficientfor the processor 526 in the intelligent eyeglasses 520 to determinethat the image indicates that the connector port 562-1 no longer has apatch cord inserted therein. The intelligent eyeglasses 520 may thentransmit a message to the system administrator computer 530 that thefirst end 552 of patch cord 550 has been removed from connector port562.

It will be readily apparent from the above examples that the mobilesystem controllers according to embodiments of the present invention maybe used to automatically track patching connections to not only patchpanels, but also to any other type of equipment that receives patchcords including network switches, servers, routers, SANS, etc.Typically, these other types of equipment cannot be purchased withintelligent patching capabilities, and thus embodiments of the presentinvention may make it much easier to automatically track patchingconnections to these other types of equipment.

In the embodiments described above with respect to FIGS. 12A-12E, themobile system controller 520 in the form of a pair of intelligenteyeglasses automatically pairs with the rack controller 570 on eachequipment rack when the technician stands in front of the equipment rackvia, for example, a wireless communications link. Each rack controller570 is in wired communication with a system administration computer 530that runs the network management software and updates the connectivitydatabase. It will be appreciated, however, that numerous modificationsmay be made to this arrangement pursuant to the teachings of the presentinvention.

For example, in further embodiments, different communications means maybe used, such as wireless communications between each rack controller570 and the system administrator computer 530 (e.g., over a WiFinetwork) or wired communications between the mobile system controller520 and the rack controller 570 (e.g., by connecting a tablet computerbased mobile system controller 520 to the rack controller 570 via awired connection). As another example, in still other embodiments eachrow or aisle of equipment racks (e.g., in a data center) may have asingle “row controller” that provides intelligent patching functionalityfor the entire row or aisle of equipment racks. The mobile systemcontroller 520 (e.g., the above-described intelligent eyeglasses 520)automatically pairs with the row controller when the technician standsin front of the row (or in the aisle in the case of an “aislecontroller”) via, for example, a wireless communications link. Eachrow/aisle controller is in wired communication with the systemadministration computer 530 that runs the network management softwareand updates the connectivity database. Each equipment rack may have abar code or some other identification that may be processed optically orelectrically by the intelligent eyeglasses 520 so that the intelligenteyeglasses 520 will be able to distinguish between different equipmentracks and associate the equipment racks with information stored in adatabase regarding the equipment that is mounted on the rack. In theseembodiments, as with the embodiments described above where theintelligent eyeglasses 520 communicate with a rack controller 570, theintelligent eyeglasses 520 may be used as both a display that guides thetechnician through patching connection changes and as an input devicethat collects and tracks information regarding patching connectionchanges and forwards this information to the system administratorcomputer 530 for use in updating the connectivity database.

In still further embodiments, the rack/row/aisle controllers may beomitted, and the intelligent eyeglasses 520 may communicate wirelesslywith the system administrator computer 530 via, for example, a WiFi orbroadband wireless network. In these embodiments, each equipment rackmay again include a bar code or other identifier that may be processedoptically or electrically by the intelligent eyeglasses 520 so that theintelligent eyeglasses 520 will be able to distinguish between differentequipment racks and associate the equipment racks with informationstored in a database regarding the equipment that is mounted on eachrack.

It will likewise be appreciated that the intelligent patching controlfunctions may be carried out in any appropriate location, and may all becarried out in a single location or the functions may be distributed andcarried out at multiple locations. For example, in some of theabove-described embodiments, processing capabilities are provided at themobile system controller 520 (e.g., the intelligent eyeglasses 520), atthe rack/row/aisle controllers 570, and at the system administratorcomputer 530. Any of these “controllers” may, for example, run thesystem management software, update the connectivity database, storeinformation regarding the equipment mounted on the equipment racks,generate the electronic work orders or perform any other operations usedto assist technicians in making patching connection changes or inautomatically tracking such patching changes. Thus, while thedescriptions above provide examples as to how various functions may bedistributed across these controllers, it will be appreciated thatnumerous other distributions are possible, and that more or fewercontrollers may be provided.

While the eyeglasses 520 represent one type of system controller, itwill be appreciated that other types of system controllers may be used,including fixed system controllers. For example, cameras may be mountedon equipment racks, in overhead locations, etc. that are used in placeof the camera 524 on the intelligent eyeglasses 520. These cameras mayhave associated processors that perform the image processing that isdescribed above that is used to detect patch cord insertions andremovals and that is used to identify the connector ports where thesepatch cord insertions and removals occurred. Thus, it will beappreciated that any appropriate system controller may be used. Theconcept is that the intelligence is moved from the patch panels to oneor more other mobile or fixed devices (i.e., the mobile or fixed systemcontrollers described above) that are used to detect patch cordinsertions and removals and to update the connectivity database usingthis information. Additionally, by using an electronic work order systemin conjunction with the mobile or fixed system controllers that arepresent in the patching fields, the system may detect errors made bytechnicians during patching changes and notify the technicians of theseerrors almost immediately.

In still further embodiments, the mobile system controller may beimplemented to include both a display and 3-dimensional scanningtechnology such as, for example, the 3-dimensional scanning technologyavailable from PrimeSense, which may be implemented, for example, in asingle device such as a pair of intelligent eyeglasses. In exampleembodiments, identifiers such as bar codes may be provided on the patchcords and pieces of equipment. The 3-dimensional scanning technology maybe used to scan the equipment on each equipment rack and to recognizewhich patch cords (which can be identified by their bar codes) areplugged into which connector ports (which can be identified by the barcodes on each piece of equipment and stored information regarding theconnector port layout on each piece of equipment, or barcodes at eachconnector port). Thus, in these embodiments, the mobile systemcontroller may be used to automatically scan the equipment racks andpopulate the connectivity database. When patching connection changes aremade, the mobile system controller can identify such changes from the3-dimensional scans and update the connectivity database to reflect thepatching connection changes. Thus, in some embodiments, highly automatedintelligent patch cord tracking may be provided without the need forspecial patch panels, network switches, patch cords or the like.

Pursuant to still further embodiments of the present invention, thedisplay that is provided in the patching field (e.g., display 340 ofFIGS. 9-10 or display 522 of FIGS. 12A-D) may be used to provide atechnician information which may be used to diagnose identified problemsor error situations. For example, in some embodiments, a technician maysend a request to, for example, the system administrator computer thatan “audit trail” be displayed on the display 340/522 for a particularconnector port. This audit trail may show, for example, a history of theconnections to the connector port including for example, identificationof the end devices and intermediate points of those connections. Thisconnection history information may be helpful to the technician inidentifying the cause of an unanticipated problem in the network.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to beconstrued as limiting thereof. Although a few exemplary embodiments ofthis invention have been described, those skilled in the art willreadily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplaryembodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings andadvantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications areintended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined inthe claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, withequivalents of the claims to be included therein.

1. A method of executing a patching connection change in a patchingfield, the method comprising: receiving an electronic work order on adisplay of a controller that is located at the patching field, thepatching field including a plurality of passive patch panels that lackcapabilities for automatically sensing patching changes and thecontroller being separate from the passive patch panels, the electronicwork order specifying the patching connection change that is to beperformed at a connector port on a first of the passive patch panels;performing the patching connection change; and using the controller tosend a message from the patching field indicating that the patchingconnection change has been completed, wherein the patching connectionchange comprises adding, changing or deleting a patching connection atthe first of the passive patch panels.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinthe display is retrofitted onto the passive patch panel.
 3. The methodof claim 1, wherein the display is associated with a rack controller,and wherein sending the message from the patching field indicating thatthe patching change has been completed comprises: activating an inputmechanism that is associated with the display; and in response toactivation of the input mechanism, sending an electronic message to asystem controller.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the input mechanismcomprises either a push button or a touch screen capability of thedisplay.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the patchingconnection comprises: performing a first operation of the patchingconnection change; sending a first message indicating that the firstoperation has been completed; and then performing a second operation ofthe patching connection change; wherein the message comprises a secondmessage that indicates that the second operation has been completed thatis sent after the second operation of the patching connection change hasbeen completed.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein sending the firstmessage indicating that the first operation has been completed comprisesactivating an input mechanism that is associated with a display to causethe first message to be forwarded to a system controller.
 7. The methodof claim 6, wherein the display only displays information regardingequipment contained on a selected equipment rack at any given time. 8.The method of claim 1, wherein the display is a touch screen display andthe input mechanism comprises an icon on the touch screen display thatthe electronic work order indicates should be activated once thepatching change has been completed.
 9. The method of claim 1, whereinthe message is sent from the patching field indicating that the patchingconnection change has been completed in response to activation of asingle input mechanism on the display.
 10. A method of executing apatching connection change, the method comprising: receiving anelectronic work order requesting the patching connection change;displaying the electronic work order on a touch screen display devicethat is located in a patching field where the requested patchingconnection change is to occur, where the touch screen display device isseparate from a passive patch panel that includes a connector port thatis involved in the patching connection change and wherein the electronicwork order includes an icon on the touch screen display; performing thepatching connection change; transmitting a message to a systemcontroller after the patching connection change is completed thatconfirms that the patching connection change has been completed inresponse to activation of the icon on the touch screen display; andupdating a connectivity database to reflect the completion of thepatching connection change in response to receiving the message.
 11. Themethod of claim 10, wherein the display device comprises a display of arack controller.
 12. A method of executing a patching connection change,the method comprising: receiving an electronic work order requesting thepatching connection change; displaying the electronic work order on adisplay device that is located in a patching field where the requestedpatching connection change is to occur; performing the patchingconnection change; transmitting a message to a system controller; andupdating a connectivity database to reflect the completion of thepatching connection change in response to receiving the message, whereinthe display device comprises a display of a mobile system controllerthat includes a camera that is used to detect patch cord insertions andremovals, and wherein the camera is used in reading identifier on apiece of equipment that is involved in the patching connection changeand is further used to identify a connector port on the piece ofequipment that was involved in the patching connection change.
 13. Themethod of claim 12, wherein the mobile system controller is a wearablesystem controller that is worn by a technician performing the patchingconnection change.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprisingnotifying the technician of an error in the patching connection changevia the wearable system controller.
 15. A method of tracking patchingconnection changes, the method comprising: using an optical scanner of amobile system controller to optically scan device identifiers on devicesmounted on one or more equipment racks and patch cord identifiers onpatch cords that are plugged into connector ports on the devices; andcomparing an image of a first of the devices to stored image informationregarding the first of the devices to determine the connector ports onthe first of the devices that each patch cord is plugged into; mappingthe patching connections based on the scanned identifiers; and updatinga connectivity database to reflect the mapped patching connections,wherein the device identifiers each identify a specific device.
 16. Themethod of claim 15, wherein the device identifiers comprise connectorport identifiers, and wherein a unique connector port identifier isprovided for each connector port on each device. 17-36. (canceled)